, .~ • • June 26, 1991 National Board of Fur Farm Organizations Suite 120 405 Sibley Street st. Paul, Minnesota 55101 Dearl /6 'J 0 - IV - 18t~respondence J') ) '.) :; Your June to Attorney General Thornburgh requesting~ne FBI and Department of Justice take active roles in th~prehension of those responsible for acts of arson at the Oregon State University research farm in Corvallis, Oregon, and the Northwest Farm Food Cooperative facility in Edmonds, Washington, was referred to this agency for reply. The FBI is authorized to conduct a Domestic Security/ Terrorism investigation of criminal activity when the facts or ~' circumstances reasonably indicate that two or more persons are engaged in an enterprise for the purpose of furthering political or social goals through activities that involve force or violence and a violation of the criminal laws of the United states. We continually maintain liaison with local and state law enforcement agencies to ensure that criminal activity which can be reasonably suspected of having been committed by animal rights supporters is investigated by the appropriate law enforcement agency. We are aware of the incidents you mentioned and are cooperating with local authorities in their respective investigations. If it is determined that a violation of Federal 1 - Executive Secretariat - Enclosure Room 4400-AA, DOJ Seattle (266A-NEW) - Enclosure Portland - Enclosure Minneapolis - Enclosure "2 ~c.. 14-- -xrr.tr- 10- 3 7 -;> D3 ~~ - L} • • law within the FBI's investigative jurisdiction has occurred, you can be assured that we will take appropriate action to bring those responsible to justice. Senator Bob Packwood's office inquired about this matter on your behalf; therefore, I am furnishing him a copy of this reply. Sincerely yours, Nicholas V. O'Hara Deputy Assistant Director Criminal Investigative Division 1 - Honorable Bob Packwood united States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 - 2 - . " • • NATIONAL BOARD' - .... OF FUR FARM ORGANIZATIONS 405 Sibley Street, Suite 120, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101 • (612) 292-9629 June 18, 1991 .\ :::; Hon. Richard L. Thornburgh Attorney General .Department of . Room 5111, Main Justice Building Washington, D.C. 20530 Just1ce'- Dear Attorney General Thornburgh: n'1 -0 :.":-...".J .-1 :.:':': ;:, -.::.:: i"qr'r~ ::,8 r. :=-< . --;;"."",! := , 3 '- !:: aN (/) ........ -:.:: I am writing on behalf of the National Board of Fur Farm Ofganizations :'ttl request that the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation take an active role in the apprehension of criminals responsible for arson at the Oregon State University research farm in Corvallis, Oregon and the Northwest Farm Food Cooperative facility in Edmonds, Washington. The National Board of Fur Farm Organizations represents approximately 2,000 American mink and fox farmers. On Monday, June 10, members of a secret international organization known as the IIAnimal Liberation Front" burned 'a building at the Oregon State University research farm, dafnaged research offices, destroyed research records and issued threats against the lives of persons associated with the farm. The disguised perpetrators videotaped their actions and left copies of the tapes at local television stations in Portland, Oregon with a news release thr~tening to continue similar actions "until the last fur farm is burnt to the ground. II On Saturday, June 15, members of the Animal Liberation Front burned a feed storage building at the Northwest Farm Food Cooperative in Edmonds, Washington. As in the Oregon incident a few days earlier, the arsonists issued a news release, which they left together with copies of the Oregon State University arson videotape at local Seattle area television and radio stations. The National Board of Fur Farm Organizations has established a reward fund of $35,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for either crime, and will do all we can to support law enforcement officials charged with the investigations now underway. Representing the Mink & Fox Farmers of the Unitp.d States • • Hon. Richard L. Thornburgh June 18, 1991 Page 2 The Animal Liberation Front is a secret organization which advocates "direct action" including violence to forcibly implement a philosophy known as animal rights. -This philosophy holds that animals and humans are equal in all regards and that any confinement, consUI!lption or use of animals is unacceptable. The Animal Liberation Front has claimed responsibility for a number of violent episodes over the last several years, including the burning of medical research laboratories at Texas Tech University_ . (July, 1989) and the University of California at Davis (April, 1987). A similar organization known as "Earth First! was responsible for burning the Dixon Livestock Auction near Sacramento, California (January, 1989). Arson has also been committed in the name of animal rights against MacDonald s and Kentuck-y Fried Chicken outlets on the west coast and in Canada. It I Clearly, the Animal Liberation Front operates across state lines and national boundaries in the commission of crimes against legitimate businesses and individuals involved in them. In a June 17 story reporting the Corvallis and Edmonds arson incidents, the Seattle Post - Intelligencer noted that federal authorities recognize this fact: "Bill Haverstick, a federal arson investigator, said the group appears to be the same organization that vandalized and then set fire to a mink research laboratory June 10 on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis." American farmers, researchers and others who are the targets of animal rights violence look to the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to play a leading role in the investigation of crimes which have been committed and any conspiracy to commit additional crimes on a multi-state basis. While we recognize that resources of the Department and the Bureau are already constrained by other demands, stemming the rising tide of animal rights violence should be given a high priolity at this time. Thank you for considering this very urgent matter. Sincerely b7C